Meal Cards

cmelliott · September 2013

I'm not having assigned seating at my wedding so I'm making meal cards just to remind everyone what their choices were (whether chicken or pork). I'm also providing a meal for my photographers but to make it easy I'm not giving them a choice and just giving them chicken. Should I include a photographer meal card with all the guests? Or is that bad etiquette and just trust them to remember I'm giving them chicken? Or is there another alternative that I can do?

STARMOON44 · September 2013

How hard is it to call your photographer and ask if they want chicken or pork? And then tell the venue that?

Maggie0829 · September 2013

Call your photog and your DJ (if you are having one) and find out which option they would want. I am sure you will speak to them both before your wedding (probably multiple times before) so just ask them.

southernbelle0915 · September 2013

I'd just give them a meal card with chicken on it.

I'm also a little confused why you wouldn't ask them what they wanted and put that on their meal card, but it doesn't really matter.

JoanE2012 · September 2013

cmelliott said:

I'm not having assigned seating at my wedding so I'm making meal cards just to remind everyone what their choices were (whether chicken or pork). I'm also providing a meal for my photographers but to make it easy I'm not giving them a choice and just giving them chicken. Should I include a photographer meal card with all the guests? Or is that bad etiquette and just trust them to remember I'm giving them chicken? Or is there another alternative that I can do?

Just call and ask your vendors what they want. It's really not that hard and they will surely appreciate the choice.

Also, how are these meal cards being distributed? Usually, you will code the escort cards so the servers know who gets what. (ie - A mini stamp of a cow for beef, chicken, etc) I've never seen a separate card and don't think you want something additional that a guest has to pick up other than the escort card. Is what you're doing still tied into the escort card?

ETA: Or do you mean a generic menu at each place setting?

cmelliott · September 2013

There will not be escort cards because we're not having assigned seating. We're going to have cards with everyone's name and their meal choice on it that they pick up before the reception, just like an escort card. As for the critical people, they were extremely appreciative of the meal in general and said they would be more than happy with anything we gave them so we just gave them the much more popular choice of chicken. Back to the question, so you think that I should just make them a meal card with the guests to remind them of the choice?

[Deleted User] · September 2013

I would call your vendors and ask, they may have food allergies you are not aware of or even be a vegetarian and then will probably politely decline a meal if you don't have a vegetarian option available. My nephew happens to be extremely allergic to chicken (like need to go to ER allergic) so we had a different option for him.

For the other guests, yes cards with their name to remind them of what they ordered would be helpful.

MNVegas · September 2013

cmelliott said:

There will not be escort cards because we're not having assigned seating. We're going to have cards with everyone's name and their meal choice on it that they pick up before the reception, just like an escort card. As for the critical people, they were extremely appreciative of the meal in general and said they would be more than happy with anything we gave them so we just gave them the much more popular choice of chicken. Back to the question, so you think that I should just make them a meal card with the guests to remind them of the choice?

If you are not giving your photographer a choice of meal then why would they need a card reminding them?

cmelliott · September 2013

We asked them if chicken was okay already, but thanks for the advice. Don't worry everyone, we got the meals down already so don't worry about that. So do you guys think I need to make cards for the photographer along with the guests or just remind the photographers at the event?

tammym1001 · September 2013

I would think it would be obvious who the vendors are so could you just tell the venue that all vendors get chicken? They are going to be busy doing the job that you are paying them for so I wouldn't want them to stop and go find their name so they don't forget that they are getting chicken.

cmelliott · September 2013

Good thought, Tammy. Thank you!

misshart00 · September 2013

If there's not assigned seating, why even bother with the cards?

cmelliott · September 2013

Because we're having a sit down meal and most guests picked their meal option at least 2 months ago and it would be rude to expect or make them remember on their own. We're trying to make everything easier on the guests.

OliveOilsMom · September 2013

Also, if you are having open seating, you are going to have extra tables and chairs, right? You could accidentally end up splitting couples or families if seating goes a certain way, unless you have extra tables & chairs. Sometimes it's just easier to assign seats. You can color code them. All the blue names get pork and all the names in red get chicken, then just assign each person a table. It will be the same amount of work creating the meal option card as it does escort cards. I also think that people may not pick up their card if it does not assign them a table, still creating the confusion you are trying to avoid.

cmelliott · September 2013

We have 90 guests with seating for 130 and my mother, who is paying for the venue, made the request she did not want assigned seating. We've got all this covered, I just wanted to know what you guys thought about meal cards for the photographers.

JoanE2012 · September 2013

cmelliott said:

We have 90 guests with seating for 130 and my mother, who is paying for the venue, made the request she did not want assigned seating. We've got all this covered, I just wanted to know what you guys thought about meal cards for the photographers.

No meal cards for the photographers. They don't need to be reminded of their choice because they never got a choice. Remember?

Seriously, just tell the venue all vendors get chicken. You're making this much harder than it should be.

cmelliott · September 2013

Yes, like Tammy said earlier, I will definitely mention to the venue that the photographers get chicken. That was a great idea I hadn't thought of before. And no, not making it harder, trying to make it easier on the guests and the vendors. I don't want anyone confused or upset. Thank you to those who recommended telling the venue. That'll solve the last issue that I'm having with the wedding! lol

SunriseAmber · September 2013

I know this thread is old but I'm confused about something. If it's a sit down dinner and no one is assigned a seat or table how will the servers know who is who and who gets what? Unless your guests are wearing name tags?

cmelliott · September 2013

That's what the meal cards are for. It says their name and what they're getting that way the servers know in case the guest has forgotten what their choice was.

Maggie0829 · September 2013

cmelliott said:

That's what the meal cards are for. It says their name and what they're getting that way the servers know in case the guest has forgotten what their choice was.

A lot of times brides will use color coded cards to denote which person gets what. I went to one wedding wear there was an option of chicken or salmon. The chicken card was orange, the salmon card was pink (their wedding colors) and when placed at the seat the servers were able to tell just by looking (not reading) what each person got.

Maybe think about doing name cards in specific colors for each item and then let your venue know that X color gets chicken while Y color gets pork. This will be easier on your servers so that they won't have to read each individual card first and then go back and get what they need.

Finally, When you have a sit down dinner it tends to be easier on the servers for you to at least have assigned tables. This way you can tell your venue that table 5 has 4 pork dishes and 6 chicken. The servers will come out with the necessary amount of dishes and then place the pork or chicken at the correct color coded card.

KeptInStitches · September 2013

As @oliveoilsmom said, you have a real possibility that people will forget to pick up their cards. As a general question, how will you handle that?

cmelliott · September 2013

@maggie, i wanted assigned seating, my mother did not and now i'm having to figure out how to handle that, which is why i came here hoping for some advice. @keptinstitches, to be honest, i have no idea. i'm hoping that they realize that the big table of cards with all the names on it is something to go check out lol. i suppose i can make an announcement right after the ceremony to remind them.

OliveOilsMom · September 2013

KeptInStitches said:

As @oliveoilsmom said, you have a real possibility that people will forget to pick up their cards. As a general question, how will you handle that?

@keptinstitches That's not what the OP is asking! So why comment further on it? She only wants answers to her specific question and does not want to get off topic!

Maggie0829 · September 2013

@cmelliott - then assigned tables (not specific seats) I think is a great compromise. Why not explain to your Mom that having assigned tables will make service of dinner quicker and less complicated for all involved.

Also, know that as KeptInStitches noted, that is a real possibility especially if you have open seating because most won't think that a card with their name on it is really necessary.

cmelliott · September 2013

OliveOilsMom said:

KeptInStitches said:

As @oliveoilsmom said, you have a real possibility that people will forget to pick up their cards. As a general question, how will you handle that?

@keptinstitches That's not what the OP is asking! So why comment further on it? She only wants answers to her specific question and does not want to get off topic!

actually what i really prefer is no one to be sarcastic and bitchy, just helpful. not sure you understood that. i'm not here to change what i've already set up for my wedding, such as the meal choices or assigned seating, i'm just here to get advice on how to coordinate all that. keptinstitches was just asking a legitimate question to something that may arise that i have to plan for.

cmelliott · September 2013

Maggie0829 said:

@cmelliott - then assigned tables (not specific seats) I think is a great compromise. Why not explain to your Mom that having assigned tables will make service of dinner quicker and less complicated for all involved.

Also, know that as KeptInStitches noted, that is a real possibility especially if you have open seating because most won't think that a card with their name on it is really necessary.

that is a good thought. i probably should have gotten on here sooner. The wedding is a week and a half away, is there time to change that? I already made the meal cards. Maybe at this point i should just make an announcement after the ceremony to tell everyone to pick up there cards?

Maggie0829 · September 2013

Do you have a venue coordinator or someone at the venue that can direct people over to the table with the cards? If so do that. Also, have the table set up right at the entrance of the reception room and have a venue person standing there making sure that people are picking up their cards.

If some do not pick up their cards it is not the end of the world and the catering staff will then just ask what they had ordered. Most guests will remember what they picked.

OliveOilsMom · September 2013

cmelliott said:

OliveOilsMom said:

KeptInStitches said:

As @oliveoilsmom said, you have a real possibility that people will forget to pick up their cards. As a general question, how will you handle that?

@keptinstitches That's not what the OP is asking! So why comment further on it? She only wants answers to her specific question and does not want to get off topic!
actually what i really prefer is no one to be sarcastic and bitchy, just helpful. not sure you understood that. i'm not here to change what i've already set up for my wedding, such as the meal choices or assigned seating, i'm just here to get advice on how to coordinate all that. keptinstitches was just asking a legitimate question to something that may arise that i have to plan for.

I'm just trying to control the interwebs for you. As you don't seem to like it when people offer any advice accept to answer the specific question at hand, even if your OP is hard to comprehend.

Maggie0829 · September 2013

Also you still have time to do assigned tables if you want. All you would need to do to the cards is add "Table # ___" to it. And not sure what your cards look like but if they are just folded in half then you could put the table number on the inside or even on the back.

cmelliott · September 2013

Maggie0829 said:

Also you still have time to do assigned tables if you want. All you would need to do to the cards is add "Table # ___" to it. And not sure what your cards look like but if they are just folded in half then you could put the table number on the inside or even on the back.

thank you, this has all been really good advice. this was the last conundrum i was having over the wedding and i feel more secure about it now.

cmelliott · September 2013

i'm actually not quite sure why she doesn't want it. i think she thinks the guests will like it better. and i let her dictate it cause she's paying for the wedding.

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